| WESTON POINT COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL 
Plans for Opening of School to all children years Rec-6 from Monday 8th March 2021
Dear Parents/Carers
Returning to school is vital for children's education and wellbeing. Given the current position, the government has decided the balance of risk is now in favour of children returning to school and we have been given the green light from the government that it is safe enough for all children to return to school from March 8th. For the vast majority of children, the benefits of being back in school far outweigh the low risk from coronavirus. This letter contains all the information you will need to know about our return to school. The changes we introduced in September worked very well and it is the view of myself and the staff that there is no need to change our September procedures too much
Beginning and end of the day
· All children MUST be accompanied by an adult when arriving/leaving (only one adult please). All adults to please wear a face mask. · School is accessible through the bottom school gate Exit through main car park gate .If you have a pram please use the main gate for entering and exiting. · Keep at least a two metre distance from other parents and children that may be arriving at the same time as you. · Say goodbye to your child away from the classroom door and let them walk in by themselves. · Children should bring the absolute minimum from home – all that is required is a waterproof coat, a water bottle (marked with your child`s name). Do not bring a school bag.Lunch/water bottle can be in a carrier bag. Nothing else is required or allowed.
· If you have any messages to pass to teachers please phone the school office and these will be passed to the relevant person. Do not approach the classroom door. Do not approach the office. · In order to minimise the number of people on site at the same time we will have a staggered start to the beginning and end of the day as follows:
RECEPTION Start 8.45 children enter through the door off the reception outdoor area.
Finish 2.45 the children will be brought out to you.
YEAR 1 Start 9am Children straight into classroom on arrival finish 3pm parents waiting area infant playground . Please note the children will be brought out to you. YEAR 2 Start 8.45 Children straight into classroom on arrival finish 2.45 parents waiting area junior playground. Please note the children will be brought out to you. YEAR 3 Start 8.45 .Children straight into classroom on arrival . Finish 2.45 parent waiting area . Mr Flanders Memorial garden area Please note the children will be brought out to you. YEAR 4 Start 9 am .Children straight into classroom on arrival .Finish 3pm Parent waiting area – grassed area to the right of the memorial garden. Please note the children will be brought out to you. YEAR 5 Start 9.15 am children enter through bottom junior entrance straight into classroom on arrival 3.15 finish Parent waiting area - marked path from bottom gate Please note the children will be brought out to you. YEAR 6 Start 9.15 am Children enter through main entrance 3.15 finish parent waiting area steps leading to main entrance CLASS 8 Start 9am Children straight into classroom on arrival finish 3pm Parents/carers/transport wait outside classroom door/fire exit ramp. Please note the children will be brought out to you.
Each phase of school has a 15 minute window to bring the children in to school. Do not arrive earlier than your allotted time as you will be asked to wait. Our risk assessment is clear that parents must not congregate which is why we have this staggered approach. It is designed to keep the flow of people moving rather than waiting. If you have children in more than one year group then please bring them all at the time of the earlier group and collect them at the time of the earlier group. Please note that you cannot collect your children early for appointments etc. Once they are in school they need to remain in school until the standard collection time unless agreed in advance with the head teacher. Class Structure
· The government acknowledge that 2 metre social distancing is impossible in a primary school so the safety measures to reduce contact will be Class Bubbles (a constant group of children/adults). · Classes will remain as a class throughout the day and will not mix/socialise with other classes. · Each class will have its own room and its own resources that will not be shared by other classes. · Playtimes and lunches will be staggered to minimise contact with other classes. · During playtimes, the classes will not mix, they will have their own designated play area and equipment. · It should be acknowledged that within the classes we will not be able to expect 2 metre social distancing however we will encourage it wherever possible. School Meals
If you require your child to have a hot school meal they will be available as normal.
Snack will be available to purchase as normal Safety and Hygiene
· Classrooms have been set up carefully to minimise risk. · Classes will not mix with each other. There will be social distancing measures in place between each class. · Soft resources that cannot be wiped clean are put away, out of reach or removed from the classroom. · Children will be given their own resources such as pens, pencils, books etc which will not be shared/used by anyone else. · Handwashing will be a priority and will be a key to minimising risk. Children and adults will wash their hands regularly at key points during the day – when arriving at school, before and after break, before and after lunch time, after going to the toilet, sneezing/coughing into their hands and before going home. · Soap, paper towels and tissues are available in every classroom along with cleaning resources for wiping down surfaces and shared equipment. · We will use the 'catch it, bin it, kill it' saying and ensure tissues are put into a lidded bin. · Windows and classroom doors will be open to ensure good ventilation in the classroom.
Behaviour
The Behaviour Policy has been updated to include new expectations relating to Covid-19. Any child deliberately coughing, spitting, putting others at risk through their behaviour will be asked to leave for the rest of the day and not return to school unless they can safely follow the guidance in place.
Medication
· Please ensure that your child's medication is up to date · Children who use asthma inhalers or Epipens should bring them in on the first day and these should be handed to the class teacher. School Uniform
· School uniform must be worn . · Children should bring their own, clearly labelled water bottle.. Any type of water bottle can be brought as long as it is clearly labelled. This needs to be taken home and washed daily.
PE Kit
Your class teacher will tell which day is your PE day. On this day you should wear your PE kit to come to school and keep it on all day. Please note that the only appropriate PE kit is as follows:
· Black, tracksuit bottoms or black shorts · Plain white T-shirt/polo shirt · Black trainers · School jumper – to be removed for PE lesson It is our policy that children should not wear jewellery to school other than simple stud earrings and a watch These need to be removed for all PE activities and kept safe by the child at their own risk.
Transport · With children coming and going at different times there will be a lot more movement of traffic on the school drive. If it is absolutely necessary for you to come to school in a car then please park away from the entrance and walk up to the path. Please do not turn your car in the school drive or do U-turns.. Thank you for your support with this. Talking to Teachers
· Due to the systems in place it will be difficult to talk to your child's teacher at the beginning or end of the school day as we need to keep everyone moving around the site to avoid congestion. Please email or phone the school office to arrange a phone call with the teacher at a time convenient to both of you. Senior members of staff will be out and about on the school site at the beginning and end of the day at various locations where you can leave messages to be passed on to teachers.
Parents in School
Unfortunately, due to minimising the number of people within the building, parents and carers will not be allowed in to school until the situation has eased further. This means that all pupils will need to be dropped off and collected as detailed earlier . If your child becomes upset please step out of the flow of people, and reassure your child until they are ready to come in. Parental events that usually take place in school will unfortunately not be happening during the spring term. School Office
The school office is available by phone. · There will be no face to face appointments at the moment except in special circumstances . This will be reviewed over the half term. · If you have any queries or wish to pass on any messages please phone the office initially for help. Try to avoid email if possible. If the phone is not answered, please leave a message as the answerphone will be monitored regularly between 8:30am and 3:30pm. · We will not be sending any letters home with your children.
All general communication will be through the school website ,class facebook pages and School Coms. Please check regularly to keep up to date with any changes. Attendance
In January 2021 when the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was increasing, it was made clear that no parent would be penalised or sanctioned for their child's non-attendance at school.
Now the circumstances have changed and it is vital for all children to return to school. This is to minimise, as far as possible, the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children's education, wellbeing and wider development.
Missing out on more time in the classroom risks children falling further behind. School attendance will therefore be compulsory again from the 8th March This means from that point, the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:
· parents' duty to ensure that their child attends regularly at school where the child is a registered pupil at school and they are of compulsory school age; · schools' responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence; · the availability to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices in line with local authorities' codes of conduct. We now know much more about coronavirus (COVID-19) and so in future there will be far fewer children advised to shield whenever community transmission rates are high. Therefore, the majority of children will be able to return to school. You should note however that:
a small number of children will still be unable to attend in line with public health advice because they are self-isolating and have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves; or because they are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus (COVID-19) if rates of the disease rise in local areas, children (or family members) from that area, and that area only, will be advised to shield during the period where rates remain high and therefore they may be temporarily absent Some pupils, no longer required to shield, but who generally remain under the care of a specialist health professional may need to discuss their care with their health professional before returning to school (usually at their next planned clinical appointment). You can find more advice from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health at COVID-19 - 'shielding' guidance for children and young people.
Illness
· Children should not come to school if they are in any way ill and particularly if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 i.e. a high temperature, new persistent cough, a sore throat, sore eyes, loss of sense of smell and taste, vomiting and diarrhoea, a rash etc. · You must contact the school office as usual if your child is going to be absent. · You must inform school immediately if your child or anyone in the household has COVID-19 symptoms or is tested positive. · You will need to collect your child immediately if they become ill whilst at school. · Absences will be authorised if your child or anyone in your family has been advised to self-isolate.
NHS Test and Trace and Self-Isolation
Parents MUST comply with the NHS Test and Trace system i.e. if you are advised by the NHS or Public Health that you or your children should self-isolate because of contact with someone who has tested positive, you MUST do so. To ignore this advice could seriously compromise the safety of our whole school community and result in school closure. · You MUST follow the advice of school to have your children/ family tested if your child has shown symptoms of COVID-19. · Children who have shown symptoms of COVID-19 will not be permitted back to school for 7 days without proof of a negative test result (their siblings will not be permitted within 10 days without proof of a negative test). Educational Visits
There will be no educational visits in the spring term that involve any transport. Local walks may take place in order to enhance the curriculum learning.
Collective Worship
There will be no gathering in the hall for assemblies. Collective worship will take place in the classrooms. Children should not wear masks in school as their handling can present a hygiene hazard to other children. Face coverings or masks worn on public transport should be removed at the school gate. We are really looking forward to welcoming you back. I know we can rely on your continued support to enable us to do this safely by following the points detailed above. Your support is a constant reassurance for us.
In the first few weeks our focus will be:
· Settling everybody back into a school routine. · Building up the children's confidence, resilience and re-establishing friendships.
· Gauging where the children are in terms of their learning, then building on top of the knowledge and skills that they have retained.
· Supporting children to re-establish their positive attitudes to learning and independence
· Back-filling any gaps in knowledge to ensure they swiftly make progress in their learning
· We understand the last 8 weeks have been challenging and we want our personal, social and health education (PSHE) to fully support our children.
In terms of our Recovery Curriculum, from a Mental Health and wellbeing perspective, both key stage 1 and key stage 2 have a bank of resources to use: powerpoint presentations, conversation cards, social stories and worksheets. We have introduced Mental Health ambassadors (Year 6 pupils) to continue to lead from the front. It is definitely time to talk but some children might struggle with this so we have in place strategies for children to communicate without using words like Art therapy. Please note that all of our planned arrangements and risk assessments will continue to be subject to regular review and may be changed at short notice if we find they are not working or Government guidelines change. I look forward to the community that is Weston Point getting back together and moving forward after what has been an awful time for us all. Kind regards
Noreen Curphey
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